The Professional
by The Goddess Bastet
Summary: AU. You've got problems when you fall in love with the girl who thinks you're her brother M/A
1. The Assignment

Title: The Pro  
  
Disclaimer: I own pretty much nothing. Dark Angel and its characters fit into the 'Nothing' category.  
  
Setting: Post Cold Comfort, Pre-Pollo Loco. But since this is AU, it throws a lot of episodes totally out of balance.  
  
Summary: AU. You've got problems when the girl you love thinks you're her brother.  
  
/ It's hard to pretend to be somebody else...even if he's your twin.  
  
Chapter 1: The Assignment  
  
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Elizabeth Renfro was adamant.  
  
"Deck! No arguments, please. You've messed up the entire operation from day one. If you'd handled everything like an expert, those 'kids' of yours would never have been allowed to escape in the first place!"  
  
"I've been making progress in locating them."  
  
"It's been ten years, Deck! How long is the committee to wait before you admit that they've outsmarted you?"  
  
"Sending an X5 after X5s could prove to be catastrophic."  
  
"How can it be catastrophic? It'll mean that I'll have twelve '09 escapees in custody instead of one! And, need I remind you, that the only reason that we have that one, was because of the Progeria."  
  
"The escapees could inflict their liberal ideas onto him. Then we'd have another rogue to worry about."  
  
She brushed his argument aside with an irritable flick of her hand.  
  
"If he begins to show signs of weakness, then we'll brainwash him. Simple solution to a simple problem. Enough arguing, Deck! I'm in charge now, and I'm giving an order. Do it!"  
  
Lydecker resisted the urge to strangle her neck.  
  
"Yes, Ma'am."  
  
Renfro gave a nasty little smile.  
  
"Good boy! Now salute me!"  
  
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"At ease, soldier."  
  
Lydecker stonily observed the young man before him. There was no hint that the boy had spent a considerable amount of time in the dark realm of the Psy Ops department. Outwardly, he appeared to be nothing less than the cream of Manticore's crop, but Lydecker had doubts that he was ready for another undercover solo mission. This assignment was condiderably trickier than his last, and yet that had failed miserably. However, Renfro was very enthusiastic that her plan would round up the escaped X5s and Lydecker had no choice other than to follow her orders. Whether he liked them or not.  
  
"X5-494!"  
  
"Yes Sir?"  
  
"You have been assigned a solo-mission. You are to capture the remainding eleven rogue X5s starting with 452. Do you know why you have been chosen for this important assignment?"  
  
"No, Sir!"  
  
"You are one of our finest soldiers. Apart from your screw up last year in the Berrisford case, you have proved yourself capable in solo missions. We feel that you are now professional enough to handle a new mission. The committee has reached the decision that you've learnt your lesson. But above all, you have been chosen because you alone can pass off as a rogue."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"You have a twin, X5-494. His designation is X5-493."  
  
Lydecker searched the young man's face for any signs of surprise. Apart from a slight flicker in his eyes, there was none.  
  
"You are to assume his identity, and make contact with X5-452. But you shall call her 'Max' as she will call you 'Ben'. Any questions?"  
  
"Has X5-452 been in contact with X5-493 since the escape?"  
  
"My sources have indicated that they have not."  
  
"My barcode is different to that of the twin."  
  
"That can be temporarily altered. Anything else."  
  
"If I am to pass off as X5-493, I will need information on both him and X5- 452."  
  
"I know. Here's their files as well as the files of the other escapees. Study them. I want you to play this part to perfection. In the past, all your previous mission required you to assume the identity of somebody the target had not yet met. You will not have that advantage this time. But since X5-452 is unaware that Ben...X5-493 has a twin, you'll be able to manage to get around any unrecorded knowledge she has of him. Gain her trust. Her only weakness is her 'siblings'. She would never suspect her 'brother' to turn against her, and so you should be able to bring her in without much trouble. Also, there's a secondary mission to the assignment. It's been noted that 'Eyes Only' has been helping X5-452. We want you to learn his identity."  
  
"Am I to to terminate the secondary subject?"  
  
"No. We want to observe him, and his reaction to her capture. If he makes trouble for Manticore, then we will order a termination. Any other questions?"  
  
"I'm to capture X5-452 first. With all due respect, sir, it would make more sense to capture X5-493 first and then proceed to take out the remainder."  
  
"I'm aware of that, but 493's location is a mystery to us. He often moves and does not stay long enough at any given place to give us a definite trail. 452 will be easiest to find. We know that she has spent a good deal of time in Seattle. She may still probably be there. On the chance that she's fled, you are to find a trail - somehow. If Zack could do it, so can you. Speaking of which, it's been noted that X5-599 has a tendency to risk himself for her sake. If she's captured, I can guarantee you that he'll come looking. When we've got him, we've got all of them because he alone knows their locations, and he'd have been the only person who could warn the others about the fake Ben. It's important to get Zack as quickly as possible. He's the crucial one, but Max is his bait. After we have Zack, you can pick them off one by one. Leave 493 for last. He'll be trickier and will require a different strategy. Any other questions?"  
  
"No, Sir."  
  
"Good."  
  
He indicated the files.  
  
"Study those well. I want you to give an award winning performance, soldier! A lot is counting on how convincing you are."  
  
"Yes, Sir. Understood."  
  
"Oh, and 494?"  
  
"Yes, Sir?"  
  
"Under no circumstance, allow yourself to be influenced by their beliefs."  
  
If the young man was puzzled by his words, he made no visible sign.  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
"Also, 494..."  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
"Do yourself a favor and don't fall in love with her."  
  
Lydecker did not miss the slight narrowing of the soldier's eyes, nor did he fail to notice the clenched fist.  
  
"I'll try to restrain myself, sir."  
  
Deck almost raised his eybrow. Was the boy being cocky with him? He decided to let it go - for now.  
  
"Dismissed."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Well? My knowledge of military jargon is extremely limited, so I just put in what I thought might work. So, whaddya think? If you're worried that this is too...uptight for you, trust me that things will get more romantic in the later chapters. This is a devoted M/A shipper writing after all! If the response to this story is good, I can already see a follow-up in the future. So review! Come on! Please! 


	2. Stormy Thoughts

Title: The Professional  
  
Disclaimer: I own pretty much nothing. Dark Angel and its characters fit into the 'Nothing' category.  
  
Setting: A totally AU version to Max, Alec and Ben. Pollo Loco  
  
Summary: AU. You've got problems when the girl you love thinks you're her brother.  
  
Chapter 2: Stormy Thoughts  
  
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Lightning. An electric streak cutting into the sky. 494 stared. The green eyes of the young boy looked back at him. They were his eyes, nose and mouth...and yet they weren't. They didn't belong to him, but to 493.  
  
The rogue.  
  
The traitor.  
  
Ben.  
  
His brother.  
  
His blood.  
  
494 shook his head at his sudden surge of sentimentality. Softness wasn't something he allowed himself - ever. But he couldn't shake away the feeling that the boy who's picture he studied; the boy who was the replica of himself at the age of ten; was a person that 494 should have known. Somebody that 494 should have trusted. Somebody that 494 should have loved. 494 had heard that the eyes were the windows to the soul. 493's green eyes spoke of fear, oppression and oddly... trust. Faith.  
  
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Ben's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he stalked his prey in the darkness of the night.  
  
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The moon's pale glow together with the flashes of lightning through the tiny cell window gave the photo a silvery and blue tinge. 494 wondered what his brother was doing at that very moment. He was probably enjoying the luxaries of freedom, while 494 was confined to his cell. 493 had probably forgotten everything to do with Manticore.  
  
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Ben snapped his victim's neck.  
  
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494 suppressed an envious sigh. While he was stuck at Manticore, his brother was off having a normal life.  
  
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Ben pulled out the man's teeth.  
  
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494 fingered his barcode. Had 493 had his barcode removed? A way to forget who...what he really was?  
  
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Ben fingered the barcode that he'd tatooed onto the dead man's neck earlier. His own signature. Telling the world who he was. A soldier. A hunter. A killer.  
  
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494 reflected on his mission: To atone for his dismal failure in his last assignment. To capture the eleven remainding escapees of '09. To bring his twin back to Manticore.  
  
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Ben vowed to the Blue Lady as he displayed the body on a rock, that he'd never go back to Manticore alive.  
  
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It began to rain. Heavy, angry droplets assaulted the ground. Two sets of identical green eyes looked up at the weeping sky.  
  
494 put aside his twin's file.  
  
Ben walked away from his grisly conquest.  
  
Overhead, the moon shone through the raging storm, offering comfort to the brothers who had never met; and to the girl who looked out her window at the pouring Seattle rain.  
  
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A/N: WHEW! I've been struggling with this story. I could barely make a single sentence. But tonight, this whole (not-so-long) chapter just came out. I'ts definitely a lot different to my other stuff. I usually write happy, fluffy plot-less, angst-free fics, but this... So, this chapter is definitely experimental ground for me. This chapter was much darker than anything I've ever done before, and I hope that I did justice to the incredible character of Ben. It was more of an Alec viewpoint than Ben's, but I tried to intertwine their stories. I promised that this would be a romance, and it is. I hope. I'm still trying to work out the kinks in the storyline, but I think that I might have a solution. It won't be fluffy, but it'll be romantic. If it's one thing that's REALLY annoying me, it's having to call Alec '494' all the time! 


	3. Ben...Ain't that the cutest name?

Title: The Professional  
  
Disclaimer: I own pretty much nothing. Dark Angel and its characters fit into the 'Nothing' category.  
  
Setting: A totally AU version to Max, Alec and Ben. Pollo Loco  
  
Summary: AU. You've got problems when the girl you love thinks you're her brother.  
  
Chapter 3: "Ben...ain't that the cutest name?"  
  
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Max sauntered into Jam Pony, half an hour late. As expected, Normal swooped down on her like an enraged hen.  
  
"Late again, Missy Miss. You know those contraptions that were invented to tell the time? They're called clocks! Learn to use 'em! Bip bip bip!"  
  
Max blatantly ignored his clucking and strolled towards her locker, where OC stood smiling as though she had a delicious secret.  
  
"Hey, Boo. Did you see our hot new co-worker?"  
  
Max looked around but saw nobody out of the ordinary.  
  
"Where?"  
  
OC sighed in exaggerated exasperation.  
  
"Well, if you'd make a little more effort to get to work on time, you would've seen him. He must've already left. And, girl, you would've loved the sight."  
  
She whistled in appreciation.  
  
"I may bat for the other team, but he's almost enough to make me switch sides!"  
  
Max was amused at her friend's confession.  
  
"No kidding! So where is this mysterious hunk that has you so wound up?"  
  
"He's out learning the routes and I said 'almost', Suga. He might be the cutest thang to walk through that entrance, but Original Cindy ain't so far gone that she's gonna degrade herself into falling for a male."  
  
"Right...wouldn't wanna stoop to my level."  
  
OC shrugged.  
  
"It's not like you've even got a boy, Boo. Sure, you've got Logan..."  
  
"We're not like that."  
  
"So you keep saying. So, why don't you check out the new hot boy? You never know..."  
  
OC's voice trailed off, knowing that the rest didn't need to be said.  
  
"We'll see. What's his name anyway?"  
  
"Ben."  
  
"Ben?" echoed Max. 'Could it be?'  
  
"Ain't that the cutest name? It's so innocent and sweet. But judging by the wink he gave half the female population at this joint, I'm guessing he's not so innocent. Anyways, Original Cindy figured that the two of you might get along, so she took the liberty to invite him to Crash tonight."  
  
OC had a really wicked grin on her face. It reminded Max of the Cheshire cat in the story 'Alice in Wonderland'. Max was, in all honesty, intrigued. There were very few men that Original Cindy would give a second glance to, and when they chilled out at Crash, it was usually very exclusive to the two of them and Sketchy unless someone had a date. Yet OC was impressed enough with this new guy's assets to invite him to hang with them.  
  
"What's he look like?"  
  
Original Cindy had obviously been plotting her answer to this inevitable question in advance.  
  
"He's got sandy colored hair that begs you to play with it. He's got these incredible green eyes that are just burstin' with secrets and he's got a mouth that..."  
  
"OC, STOP! You sound worse than Kendra. If he turns you on so much, maybe you should try him out."  
  
"Sorry, Boo. I've made a vow to the sisterhood. I'm just trying to get you interested, that's all. My Boo needs a guy. I mean, when was the last time you had a real date?"  
  
"OK, so I've been out of the love ring for a while. And you think that this Ben is the guy to rope me back in for another round?"  
  
"I think we finally got a guy who can take you on. Apart from the fact that he's got a gorgeous face, he's got a build to match. I could make that out even with the t-shirt he had on. At the very least, you'd make a great-looking couple."  
  
'At the very least, you'd get some.' she added mentally.  
  
Max thought about the description OC had given her: Sandy hair. Green eyes. Ben. Her mind flashed to the boy who'd entertain her throughout her sleepless nights. He had such gentle green eyes.  
  
'Co-incidence?' she wondered.  
  
"Sorry, OC. You better hope he's not who I hope he is."  
  
"Who's that?"  
  
"My brother."  
  
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From a nearby roof, he'd watched as she entered the premises like she owned the place. There was no question that she was the rogue whom he targeted. He could match each of her pretty features to the photo of the nine-year old. He'd had the odious task of searching the entire city of Seattle for a nineteen-year old brunette female with brown eyes. It had taken him months of careful sifting before arriving to the conclusion that the woman who'd breezed into Jam Pony a few seconds ago was his target. He was thankful that she'd, rather stupidly, retained her name of 'Max'. At the back of 494's mind, was a tiny bubble of grudging respect for X5-599 - Zack - who'd combed through America and found all the escapees single-handedly. No easy feat.  
  
At the front of his mind, were thoughts about his social meeting with the rogue and her friends that night. The Cindy-person had obviously been hinting at a romantic involvement between 452 and himself, and had his orders been different, he might have had to use that route as a way of gaining her trust. As it was, he was instructed to play the part of her beloved 'brother'. That automatically threw romance out the window and into the street. Besides...after the disaster that was the Berrisford Agenda, 494 had little wish to romantically involve himself with a target ever again.  
  
Ever again.  
  
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I'm back...  
  
After my last chapter, I had pretty much abandoned this story to concentrate on the "Discovering her Destiny" trilogy. But since it's holiday time here in sunny S.A. I have lots and lots of free time. It's not like I have a life or anything...  
  
:)  
  
So, I decided to attempt Ch3. Tell me what you think. Please! 


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